Newly Released Files on Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal

Santa Barbara- Some confidential files released this week on clergy sex abuse in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, reveal ties to at least one prominent local religious figure. For years, the Catholic Church has fought to keep these files secret, but the documents that date back to the 1980’s are revealing. They clearly show how Archbishop Roger M. Mahony and a top adviser, Bishop Thomas Curry, who now presides over the Santa Barbara region plotted to hide child molestation by priests, from reaching the police. Santa Barbara Attorney, Tim Hale, who represents a number of the 500 abuse victims says that there were discussions in these memos where church leaders would knowingly give the abusive priests out of the area assignments to keep them from being exposed, and kept them from seeing psychologists, in case the therapist alerted police.Father James Ford who was assigned to many locations in the area, is one of the alleged abusers that Mahony and Curry were covering up for. The expired Statute of Limitations prevents these men from being held criminally accountable– but Attorney Hale is hoping that the release of these documents allow the community to be in the know– Seventy five more alleged abusers are expected to be released during the next few weeks, as part of a 2007 legal settlement with the abuse victims.